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Kacipo-Balesi

A language of Sudan

ISO 639-3: koe

Population	10,000 in Sudan (2003). Almost completely monolingual. Population total all countries: 14,120.
Region	South, Boma Plateau, near Ethiopia border. Also in Ethiopia.
Language map	Sudan
Dialects	Kichepo, Suri, Western Suri.
Classification	Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Eastern, Surmic, South, Southwest, Kacipo-Balesi
Comments	VSO.

Also spoken in:

Ethiopia

Language name	Kacipo-Balesi
Population	4,120 in Ethiopia (2000).
Region	South border with Sudan.
Language map	Southwestern Ethiopia, reference number 40
Alternate names	Silmamo, Tsilmano, Zelmamu, Zilmamu, Zulmamu
Dialects	Balesi (Baale, Bale), Zilmamu (Silmamo, Zelmamu, Zulmamu, Tsilmano), Kacipo (Kachepo, Suri, Western Suri).
Language use	All domains except market. All ages. Positive attitude. Some also use Suri [suq] (Tirmaga) or Murle [mur].
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: Below 1%. Taught in primary schools.
Comments	‘Baale’ seems to be the Tirmaga-Chai name for them. The Baale refer to themselves as ‘Suri’ although their language is completely different from Tirmaga-Chai dialects which are also referred to as Suri.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

ARENSEN, Jonathan E., author. 1989. "On comparing language relationships: a case study of Murle, Kacipo, and Tirma."

DIMMENDAAL, Gerrit, author. 2002. "Sociolinguistic survey report on Tirma, Chai, Baale and Mursi."  

KAPRANOVA, Larisa, author. 2011. A Brief Grammar of the Kacipo-Balesi Language.

WATSON, Richard L.; WISE, Mary Ruth, editors. 1989. Occasional papers in the study of Sudanese languages no. 6.